Turkish activists on Gaza aid boat leave Israel
ANKARA
Turkish activists Şuayp Ordu and Yasemin Acar left Israel on June 12 three days after the Israeli authorities seized a Gaza-bound aid ship and detained the crew members, the Turkish Foreign Ministry sources have stated.
In a prior statement, the ministry announced that Ordu was expected to be deported to Germany.
Turkish diplomatic authorities have been in close contact with Acar’s family, who holds German citizenship, providing them with updates regarding the situation.
Twelve people were on board the Madleen aid ship when it was intercepted by Israeli forces in the eastern Mediterranean about 185 kilometers (115 miles) west of Gaza on June 9.
Four, including two French citizens and Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, agreed to be deported immediately.
The remaining eight were taken into custody for more than 72 hours after they refused to leave Israel voluntarily and appeared in court. All 12 of them have been banned from Israel for 100 years.
“After more than 72 hours in Israeli custody following the unlawful interception of the Madleen Freedom Flotilla in international waters ... six volunteers are now being transferred to Ben Gurion Airport for deportation," said the Adalah rights group, an Israeli NGO representing detained activists.
Another two French nationals remain in Israeli custody awaiting deportation on June 13, Adalah said.
Adalah also said that Israeli authorities had placed Rima Hassan, a member of European Parliament for the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party who is of Palestinian descent, and Brazilian activist Thiago Avila in solitary confinement, with Hassan later removed.
"While in custody, volunteers were subjected to mistreatment, punitive measures and aggressive treatment, and two volunteers were held for some period of time in solitary confinement," it added.
